Interfitted panel constructions which form partitions for containers are well-known. Conventionally, such panels are formed from a solid rectangular blank wherein slots provided therein enable the respective transverse and longitudinal interconnection thereof. However, the prior known panel construction was wasteful of blank material, and accordingly partitioning incorporating panels having cutouts on either side thereof for producing a greater number of panels has been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,106 issued Oct. 23, 1973, represents such an improved panel construction enabling more efficient material usage. Although the improved panel provided for maximum material usage, this construction was deficient in providing overall protection of the articles as located in the individual cells that were formed when such panels were interlocked together. That is, the upwardly extending projections of each panel were positioned in a spaced relationship about the upper periphery of each cell, and thus could not prevent articles received in contiguous cells from coming in contact with each other. This was particularly true in the prior known containers where the base portions of such articles were not cylindrical but eliptical and thus extended from corner to corner. It has also been found that identically placed slots of such panelling configuration unnecessarily weakened the immediate body portion thereof by reason of their extension from the cutout portion therein.
It would accordingly be desirable to have available a partition construction having panel configurations which provide for maximum blank material usage and which also interfit to form cell structures having different configurations at either end thereof so as to accommodate a greater variety of article shapes therein. It is further desirable to provide panel constructions which are not substantially weakened by the slots formed therein.